Leading Them Home
by TheInventorOfWorlds
Summary: During the twenty-first century, Captain Jack Harkness runs into a female Time Agent from the fifty-first century, and the balance of the life he'd established post-Torchwood is upset. Given his past, Jack tries not to get attached, but sometimes, it's not so easy. Jack gets a second chance at having something others would recognize as a family. Contains spoilers through CoE.
1. Chapter 1

_There's another Time Agent here, another human from the century of my birth… _I thought. I surveyed the area, tuning in to my senses. Moving through the stream of people who crowded the park square, I followed what my instincts were telling me. Before long, I spotted a young woman, no more than five feet or 150 centimeters tall, with porcelain skin, blue eyes, and a long mop of wavy auburn hair. To any passerby, she would have appeared ordinary enough. Most people, had they looked at her wrist, would have seen an intricately beaded leather cuff. I knew better than to mistake the object on her wrist for a bracelet. It was a sophisticated, albeit girly, time vortex manipulator. I decided to do some investigative work.

Once I was within earshot of the young woman, I remarked "Guess twenty-first century men's bodies don't pick up on fifty-first century women's pheromones too well, huh, dollface?" She whirled around, taser drawn, snapping into a defensive pose. "Easy now, dollface. I mean no harm. I'm a former Time Agent, myself." I assured her, rolling up my sleeves to show her the evidence, in the form of the time vortex manipulator attached to my wrist. She sighed and relaxed her posture, in response. "I'm Tereze Lafayette. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She announced, holding out her hand for a handshake in a most professional manner. I was pleasantly surprised to discover she had a firm grip, as we shook hands. Few women were confident enough to grip someone's hand with their actual strength when first introducing themselves. "Captain Jack Harkness. Pleased to meet you." I replied. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she teased me, saying "I bet you are."


	2. Chapter 2

Over lunch, I discovered she'd been dropped from the force for being 'too compassionate' when responding to natural disasters, although none of her actions ever endangered other members of the Time Agency. The top officials threw her into the twenty-first century with no resources to live off of, and no idea exactly where in the universe she would land. She initially figured she could manage on her own, having experience surviving myriad conditions.

As we milled around the town that evening, I saw homesickness etched into the expression on her face. I knew that expression far too well, having worn it many times myself, when alone and far from my time or home. Tereze appeared utterly defeated, and I didn't blame her one bit for feeling that way. Trying to provide some form of comfort, I draped one arm across her shoulders and asked if she needed anything. She was taken aback by the question, momentarily, but then replied "Hot chocolate, please." I bought some from a little coffee shop we passed.

While night fell, bitter winter winds howled as thick, wet snow blanketed the city. Competent as I knew she was in survival, there was something wrong about the thought of going home to my warm flat and leaving her to search for charitable shelter from the storm. "Listen, Tereze... I know you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but the weather's nasty and only going to get worse, so would you humor me by staying the night in my flat? There's a guest room there with a bed and stuff you could use." I told her. She stared off into the distance to think, for a minute, before replying "Yeah... I could use a warm bed and a good night's sleep." I retreated into my thoughts. _I get the impression that she's proud enough that she wanted to refuse the offer, but was too tired and frustrated to pass up a chance to get some rest. Also, she's probably wary of me because I'm the opposite gender, and she hasn't known me long enough to decide whether I'm trustworthy. _

Unlocking the front door of the flat, I assured her I wasn't planning on making any kind of sexual advances. I added "After all, I've been in your shoes before, and I think it's safe to say that's the last thing you'd want, let alone need, right now." The remark finally got her to crack a smile. The tension wasn't gone, but it had begun to ebb. She was still somewhat wary of me, but seem to acknowledge that I had good intentions. I was still on moral probation in her mind, but I could deal with that. Poor Tereze was lost, homesick, and maybe the slightest bit frightened.


End file.
